There's something for everyone, including a couple of smart speakers with voice control, rugged options to take on your travels and a more refined offering more suited to home use. Whether you want full-on portability or have multi-room on your mind this list has a Bluetooth speaker for all situations.
MORE: see all our Bluetooth speaker reviews
Under £50
Amazon Echo Dot (3rd gen)
The most enticing way to bring Alexa into your home
SPECIFICATIONS
Voice assistant: Alexa | Connectivity: Bluetooth, wi-fi | Output: 3.5mm
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
Today's best Amazon Echo Dot (3rd Generation) deals
If you like the idea of a smart assistant combined with a simple music speaker, it’s hard to argue against the Amazon Echo Dot. For not a lot of money you get a whole load of smart voice functionality and decent sound with the latest (third generation) model.
It works well on its own or can be nicely integrated into myriad other smart home and AV products, bringing voice control and smart features just a command away. Sound quality has improved notably too, making it even easier to recommend.
Under £70
Ultimate Ears Roll 2
A compact, portable speaker that sounds great and is fun to use
SPECIFICATIONS
Waterproof: IPX7 | Bluetooth: Yes | Input: 3.5mm | Battery life: : 9 hours
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
Today's best Ultimate Ears Roll 2 deals
Improved sound and a price cut make this ultra-portable, colourful speaker even more desirable than before - and that's why it's one of our 2018 Award winners.
If you’re after a compact, portable speaker that sounds great and is genuinely fun to use, we can’t recommend the Roll 2 highly enough.
Under £100
Amazon Echo 2
Cheaper, smarter and better at listening than its predecessor
SPECIFICATIONS
Voice control: Alexa | Finishes: six | Connectivity: Bluetooth and wi-fi
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
Today's best Amazon Echo 2 deals
Everything from the price to the microphone performance has improved in this, the second generation of Amazon's Echo speaker - although if you want better sound quality you'll need to look at the pricier Amazon Echo Plus (£140).
Provided you don’t expect more for your £90 - and considering there isn’t an alternative for the money - the Echo 2 remains a good smart speaker buy.
Under £150
Ultimate Ears Blast
The Blast is all-action in terms of both sound and durability
SPECIFICATIONS
Bluetooth: Yes | Voice control: Alexa | Battery life: 12 hours | Waterproof: Yes
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
Today's best Ultimate Ears Blast deals
Ultimate Ears has a knack for finding the right combination of sound, design and features in its portable Bluetooth speakers, and it does so again with the Blast.
The Blast’s energetic performance and fun design makes this wireless speaker a joy to use. It’s a fun, exciting speaker that’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
Under £200
Audio Pro Addon T5
A mature and refined-sounding Bluetooth speaker with multi-room credentials
SPECIFICATIONS
Bluetooth: Yes | Inputs: USB, 3.5mm | Multi-room: Yes
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
Today's best Audio Pro Addon T5 deals
If you're in the market for a stationary wireless speaker that can develop into a multi-room audio system, the T5 is a great place to start. It's a beefed-up version of the Audio Pro T3 - however, unlike the smaller model, the T5 doesn’t have an in-built battery, so this isn’t a speaker to be taking out and about with you.
Assuming you can live with that, the T5 has the same great character of the T3 – an expressive, well balanced, and full sound – but with more weight in the lower frequencies. You’ll be hard pressed to get something much better without dipping a lot deeper into your piggy bank.